Automatic water heater control valve



April 25, 1933. R. ROGERS 1,905,949

AUTOMATIC WATER HEATER CONTROL VALVE Filed April 24, 1931 gwumtoc fafzeri fo em.

Patented Apr. 25, 1933 '1 UNITED ST T S PATENT emcee ROBERT ROGERS, or DALLAS, 'rnxAs, Ass'IGnoR mo-nEnRY cnIL'roN RoeERs, or DALLAS, TEXAS,

AufrOMATIo W T R nRA T'ERfcoNrRoL vatvn Application filed April 24,1931. Serial No. 532',5 77."

' This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements. in automatic water heater control valves. 1 1

Theprimary object'of the invention is to provide an automatic-water heater; control valve wherein the usual'piston or plunger valve equipped with packing and'workingin a cylinder'for the operation of a gas valve is eliminated and a bellows construction or expanding tube substituted therefor to render the control valve leak-proof in operation. 7 v

A further object of the invention'is to provide a valve structure of the foregoing character'wherein avalve casing housing an expansible tube or bellows-like member responsive to pressures has the upper wall of the bellows of dished formation to -permit full expansion of the bellows in the presence of stencil protrusions or the like usually formed on the'closure cap for valve casings of the general character disclosed in the instant art. 1 With the above and other objects in view 'that'will become apparent as the'nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel form, combinationand arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed. i r v In the accompanying drawing showing a preferred embodiment of the invention, the automatic Water heater control valve is shown in vertical section, disclosing the waterpressure operated control valve and the lower gas valve operated thereby.

In the present invention, there is provided a water pressure operated valve device operatively associated with a gas valve to effect opening movement of the latter upon operation of the water valve, the water valve comprising a casing 1 arranged above the casing 2 of the gas valve with the two casings connected by a U-shaped bracket 3 that has side arms 4, each provided with an opening 5 therein through which externally threaded bosses 6 carried by the bottom wall 7 of the valve casing and the top wall 8 of the gas valve casing extend, each casing being retained in position upon the bracket by a nut the cylinder against movement within the 1 above the cylinder 14.- andinlet 12. A

Qthreaded 'onthe boss for-clamping the easings in :position. y 4 r Thewater control valve casing 1 is of cylindrical formation and, is closed at itslupper end byaremovable cap 10 having a dependzing' externally threaded annular-flange 11 spaced inwardly ofthe peripheral edge of the cap and having internal threaded engage.-

ment with the upper end of the casing l, the outer edge of the cap resting upon the upper edge of the casing ,with the gasket interposed between the cap. and casing, to render thecasing water-tight. 1 One side of the casing, adjacent its upper end has awater inlet connection 12'to be placed in communication with a service supply and the diametrically ,opposite side of the casing 1 adjacent its low er end has. water outlet connection 13 to be placed in'communicati'on with a water valve or'spigot. i I

Thevalve mechanism within the casingl includes a cylinder-14 openat its upper and lower ends with depending spacedlugs-or ,feet 15 for spacing the lower end of the cylinder from the bottom wall ,7 of the casing,v .the cylinder being of a height toterminate below the water inlet 12. The cylinder 14 is of less diameterthan' the casing 1 and is concentrically positioned therein, and to retain casing, the outer side of the upper edge there- ,of is beveled as at 16 to permit wedgingrcception of the relatively soft metal, rubber or composition gasket 17 received between the beveled face 16and the inner faceof the o-asing 1. A side port 18 is formed in the cylinder 14 in alignmentwith the casing outlet 13 and is of a diameter less than the diameter of saidoutletfor purposes presently to appear.

An expanding tube or bellows 19 disposed within the cylinder 14, being'concentric therewith and spaced from the walls of the cylinder, with its lower end soldered or otherwise secured as at 20 withan inwardly '9 directed annularv shoulder 21carried by the lower end of the cylinder 14:, thebellows 19 being of a normal height to terminate at a point adjacent the upper endof-the casing 1y therefrom and by the -provision of the cupshaped closure 22 for the upper end ofthe bellows 19, the latter is permitted toexpand its complete length of normal movement without contactingthe casing cap lOor the usual projection 25 depending therefrom.

"operating rod 26 having threaded engageinent27 with the bottom Wall 24 of the cup-shaped member 22 depends through the boss 16, the latter being of cup formation andl containi'ng packing 27 engaged by a follower gland 28 through which therod 26 eiten'cls as illustrated;

1 "'llhe'casing 2 for-the g'as 'v'alve' has a crosspartition 29 therein with a central valve openin 30clo'sed by a valve *31 thaitis retained-upon its seat by'the spring 32 interposed between the valve '31 and the bottom wallor closure plug 33 o'fthe-cas'ing 2. 'Sa'id casing having a gas inlet connection 34 in wall thereof below the partition 29 {and a gas'o'utletconnection 35 in a wall above' the partition 29. An operating rod 36 for the {of 'the casing 2 and bushingfi, the latterbeing 'of *cup formation and "containing packing 27a engaged by the followergl'and 28a, the upper end of the g'as v alve operating red 36 termina'ting'in spaced relation to and adjacentthe lower end of'the operating rod llhen the "hot wat-er spigot to which Ethe outlet 1'3 ofthevalvec'asing 1 is connected, --is closed, waterpres'sure within the casing 1 'isequaHzedatthe inner and outer side'o'f I 'tl'ie' bellows 19, water occupyingthe area within the casing 1,, communication being 'establishedbetweenthe inner and outer sides of the bellows by the opening 18in the cylof the rod 26 to operate the gas valve rod 36, to permit the flow of gas to a burner. So

that water may flow from the spigot with increased pressure, a by-pass opening 37 is provided in the bottom wall 24 of the cupshaped-niember 22 and is. normally P closed by a' conical valve head 38 which carries a depending stem 39, the lower end of which is movable into engagement with the bottom "wal -1 7 of the casing 1 for unseating the' c'onica-l valve 38 to allow an additional supply of Water. to flow through the by-pass opening 37 and escape to -the lower open end of the operating rod36,'the gas valve 31 being then closed by the-spring 32. i 1 a I I From the above detailed description sof-the invention, it is believed that the construction and operation thereof will-at once beapparent, and while there is herein shown -and'described the preferred embodiment, of the present invention, .it vis'nevertheless to :be understood that minor changes may bermade therein without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention asclaimed. valve 31 extendsthrough the upper wall '8 sIqclaim: I r V In :a water heater the combination with the water heater control valve casing-having inlet :and outlet ports, ,of a cylinder located therein, and: spaced from thewall of thecasing "and of:less -diameterthan the casing, and a detachable vsoft 'metal gasket between the inner wall of ithe casing and theouterwal-l 0f=the cylinder, the latter being beveled at its upper edge and the gasket correspondingly beveled. a 4; w

" In testimony whereof, I aflixi my signature. ROBERT ROGERS.

inder 14 at the lower op'enend ofthe cylinder that spaced from the bottomwall 7 of I th'e c asing, the bellows '19'remai'ningin its normal position with'the cup shaped closure member 22 for the upper end of the bellows I at its'limit of upward movement and unaf- "fectedby'the projection 25 upon the casing cap "10." Whenthes'pigot-is opened, water flow's from the casing 1 through t'he'outlet 13 and as saidoutlet is of considerably great- 'er area than I the F cylinder outlet 18 pressure within the "cs'ising is fincr'eas'ed as the flow tl1rougl1= outlet 18 i's-slower than the l-iow through out1et 13, resulting in compression of the bellows -'19 and downw-ardmovement 

